The Boulevard Café

By Annabelle Goodman –

161 Harbord St
416 961 7676


The Boulevard Café has been an institution of fine dining for many years. I remember when it first opened and I have been a regular patron all these years. The food always provides a gourmet dining experience. The Peruvian flavors are exotic on the palate.

It was my daughter-in-law’s birthday and she had a choice of venues. There wasn’t a moment of hesitation because everyone in my family loves this restaurant. Dare I tell you that we all knew what we were going to have even before we arrived at the restaurant? We enjoyed the large patio. In colder weather the small interior is so cozy and inviting. Do make a reservation because this is a popular location.

We always enjoy discussing world issues and family matters. We all laughed when we realized that our total conversation was about the dishes being enjoyed at other tables. In fact my son even asked the young lady at the next table what she was eating. It was Ceviche Mixto.($15.95). It was immediately added to our selections for the evening and was totally devoured with great gusto. The excellent corn bread was used to finish all that delicious sauce at the bottom of the dish.  The bread is actually made in house. One could make a meal with it alone because it is so fantastic.

Avocado Soup ($3.75 for a cup) was the daily specialty. That was also shared .by all four of us. At lunch my favorite dish is the Creole Salad.($11.95) It is so flavorful and fresh. Boston lettuce, avocado, garbanzo beans, tomatoes and cucumber blend together enhanced in flavor with the most amazing spicy tarragon dressing. with a distinctive

For an evening meal we always opt for the Anticuchos. They are marinated brochettes. My family always has the Chicken.($16.95) The pieces are plump and savory. You have a choice of home fries or rice. A delicious salad with that exotic dressing is also on the plate. This is a very generous serving but nobody had any problem in finishing it.

I chose the Shrimp Anticuchos.($18.95). There were so many grilled shrimp on the skewer. I was delighted nobody wanted to share because I enjoyed every bite all by myself.

Daily specialties are listed on the board. Many are distinctive Peruvian dishes. We commented that it was unusual to have three special fish dishes of the day. The fish is grilled and served with salad and those wonderful home baked potatoes. Prices varied according to the fish. The blackboard menu offers fresh ingredients and choices and varies daily. The average price was about $25.00 for the daily fish special (and well worth it)

Key Lime Pie ($9.00) is our favorite dessert here. Two orders were shared but guaranteed we could have each finished a whole serving.

It was a wonderful birthday celebration all enhanced with our delightful server, Danielle. We were fascinated to hear about her stories of travel in Central America. She was so helpful and adorable as well as being very efficient.

The owner greeted us at our table and we all agreed that this place has it all. We had a wonderful evening. Boulevard Café you excelled again.